Sri Lanka has entered the commercial 5G era as Dialog Axiata and SLT-Mobitel formally launched their 5G networks following the conclusion of the country’s long-awaited spectrum auction by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL).
Both operators secured spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band, while Dialog Axiata also acquired a 200 MHz block in the 27 GHz millimetre-wave band. According to the Daily FT, the combined bids for the allocated spectrum totalled approximately LKR 10 billion (US$32.3 million).
Dialog Axiata said its commercial 5G rollout is already supported by more than 220 live 5G sites nationwide, serving over 1.5 million subscribers. Group CEO Supun Weerasinghe confirmed that the operator plans to invest US$100 million over the next two years to expand 5G coverage and accelerate digital adoption across consumer, enterprise, and industrial segments.
The company highlighted the strategic importance of its 27 GHz spectrum holding, noting that mmWave capacity enables high-throughput, gigabit-speed applications suited for dense urban environments and advanced enterprise use cases. Dialog also stated that it offers Sri Lanka’s widest 5G roaming footprint, with access across 76 countries through agreements with 155 global mobile operators.
SLT-Mobitel’s announcement focused on the broader economic and technological impact of 5G rather than network specifics. Chief Operating Officer Sudharshana Geeganage described 5G as a critical enabler of digital transformation across multiple sectors. Earlier in the year, the operator confirmed trials of 5G-Advanced technology using radio equipment supplied by ZTE.
Sri Lanka’s commercial 5G launch follows several years of pilot deployments and pre-commercial trials by both operators, as the industry awaited spectrum allocation that had been under discussion since 2021
